From the Sublime to the Ridiculous?

Friday, April 18th. Paul and I have a relaxing morning over croissants, juice and coffee. We are expecting to hear from L&T around noon but they don't call until after 1:00 p.m. (They have been at Alain's architecture class at Reid Hall). We agree to meet at the metro stop Colonel Fabien at 2:00, so Paul and I are dutifully there on time and proceed to sit on a bench for 30 minutes. First, I was thankful that there WAS a bench, and second, sitting on a bench in Paris is normally not a hardship but it was COLD!!

We are here to see the Communist Party building (I kid you not!) designed by the Brazilian architect, Oscar Niemeyer but first I make everyone walk around the place Albert Camus, which I have seen before and want Tyler to see. It is a large residential complex (HLM, if I had to guess) and well-designed. It shows what can be done with affordable housing if one has an interest in doing it well.

The Communist Party building has a large white dome sitting in front of it, with no indication at all as to its function. The exterior of the office building itself is rather bland, I find. But we go inside and it's amazing: - you can walk around the rez de chaussee (with it's sloping floors which we had also seen at the Maison de Brezil). The white dome, as it turns out, is the top part of a circular auditorium which is a great space (Lyn says it's kind of like being inside a golf ball!) Although no light comes through the dome, you have the illusion that it does because there are concentric circles of tiny fluorescent lights hidden among the small metal panels hanging from the ceiling. I'm very glad to have seen the inside as I'm not sure I would have breached the entry (you have to go down and through a narrow passageway) by myself!

Lunch at Cafe A________ on the avenue Maturin Moreau. Very colorful little place with lots of movie memorabilia all around. I have an omelette and salad. Paul has escalope de poulet with cream and mushroom sauce.

We continue directly up the avenue until I make everyone detour to climb the long flight of stairs to the top of Butte Bergere (I'm the drill sargeant: "You vill see it, und you vill enchoy.") whence there is an amazing view over the city. One of my favorite spots. Tiny community gardens and vineyard.

Back down the stairs at the far end and on to the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. A stroll (and climb) through this very hilly, English-style park (we say hello to the belvedere but don't walk out to it!). At the other end of the park, we take the metro from Botzaris to Parc de Pantin to see Parc de la Villette. We walk from one end of this "park" to the other too, but what a contrast. It's a very large, public complex built within the last 20 years or so, containing (among many other things) a large performance hall and the museum of science and industry. Tyler says "it's a cross between Coney Island and the moon!" More on this later.

Metro from Parc de la Villette to Etienne Marcel and home. Paul and I have muesli and yogurt for dinner. Too tired to go out!